1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a sequencing system and method of use and, more particularly, to a sequencing system using multiple induction points to sequence products and a method of use.
2. Background Description
The sorting of mail is a very complex, time consuming task. In general, the sorting of mail is processed though many stages, including processes which sort or sequence the mail in delivery order sequence. These processes can either be manual or automated, depending on the mail sorting facility, the type of mail to be sorted such as packages, flats and letters and the like. A host of other factors may also contribute to the automation of the mail sorting, from budgetary concerns to modernization initiatives to access to appropriate technologies to a host of other factors.
In general, however, most modern mail handling facilities have taken major steps toward automation by the implementation of a number of technologies. These technologies include, amongst others, letter sorters, parcel sorters, advanced tray conveyors, flat sorters and the like. As a result of these developments, postal facilities and other mail handling facilities have become quite automated over the years, considerably reducing overhead costs. Without these automated systems, it would be virtually impossible for the postal system such as the United States Postal Service (USPS) to efficiently deliver mail pieces in a time sensitive and cost efficient manner. But, further developments must still be made in order to ever increase throughput and capacity of these automated systems.
In known automated systems, the mail pieces are provided in random order to the postal service or other mail handling facility. At these mail facilities, the mail pieces are then sequenced in delivery point order by many different, complex processes and systems. In one type of automated system, for example, a multiple pass process is utilized with a single induction point, i.e., input feeding device. In these systems, bar code readers (e.g., optical character recognition (OCR)) and transport systems are used to read and sort the mail pieces in a delivery point sequence. In general, the mail pieces are fed through the single induction point for a first pass sorting. Thereafter, the mail pieces are again fed through the same single induction point to sort the mail pieces in a delivery point sequence. But, using this type of system involves considerable machine overhead and accuracy.
By use of a specific example, a carousel-type system with a single induction point is typically able to handle approximately 8,000 pieces of mail per hour, and uses different holding trays or bins for different sets of delivery points. In using this type of system, utilizing a two pass algorithm, directions are assigned to a set of delivery points, all of which are assigned to output bins or holding trays of the carousel. Taking four directions with 16 delivery points, for example, a first portion of the algorithm may assign the following directions to each delivery point:
DirectionsDelivery PointsDirection #115 913Direction #2261014Direction #3371115Direction #4481216
However, these sets of delivery points are not in any particular order. Thus, in such an arrangement, the holding trays are removed from the system, and the mail is then fed back through the single induction point. In doing so, it is now possible to reassign the directions in the following manner, for example,
DirectionsDelivery PointsDirection #11234Direction #25678Direction #39101112Direction #413141516Now, each direction is provided in a sequenced set of delivery points. That is, direction 1 has delivery points for 1, 2, 3 and 4. Direction 2 has delivery points for 5, 6, 7, and 8. Direction 3 has delivery points for 9, 10, 11 and 12. Lastly, direction 4 has delivery points for 13, 14, 15 and 16.
Although this type of system is an improvement over manual sorting and sequencing, throughput and capacity of the machine is limited by the single induction point, e.g., input feeding device. Additionally, capacity may be considerably decreased due to misread mail pieces, overcapacity of the system and other known problems.
To increase capacity, other systems are known to use two inductions points. But, in these systems, complications arise due to system constraints such as, for example, machine error, i.e., reading errors, rigidly assigned output grouping schemes and the like, all of which may contribute to a reduced capacity of such system. In the situation of rejected mail pieces, for example, reject output bins are provided in each output group to ensure proper sequencing of the “non-rejected” mail pieces. This system constraint reduces the capacity of the system by an exponential factor. In a two induction point system, using five output bins per grouping, for example, the capacity of the system is reduced by 18 processing points (i.e., (5 original bins2+5 original bins2)−(4 used bins2+4 used bins2)). Of course, the more output groups, the larger the reduction in capacity.
Additionally, in such systems, due to the manner in which output bins are assigned in the first and second pass sorting, sorting complications, both manually and automatically, are encountered during the induction phase between the first pass sort to the second pass sort. This has a tendency to not only complicate the sort process, but also considerably decrease (slow down) the throughput of the system.
The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.